Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has strongly rejected Russia's claim that it has captured the village of Ryzhivka in Sumy region. Zelensky wrote in the Telegram application: “The Russian flag in the village of Ryzhivka was destroyed this morning and there are no occupiers there.”. He suggested that the alleged capture was simply part of Russian propaganda efforts, BTA reports.
The news of Ryzhivka's capture was initially broken by Ramzan Kadyrov, Chechnya's leader, who claimed that special forces led by the “Akhmat-Chechnya“ division had captured the village, causing significant Ukrainian casualties. Kadyrov described the operation as a "massive planned offensive" that forced Ukrainian forces to retreat.
However, this claim was quickly countered by Yury Zarko, a local official in Sumy, who assured that there are no Russian troops in Ryzhivka, as reported by the Ukrainian media "Suspilne".
Further adding to the rebuttal, Andriy Kovalenko, head of the Ukrainian government's Counter-Disinformation Center, shared on Telegram that Russian forces simply tried to test Ukraine's defenses in Ryzhivka, but were held in check by Ukrainian forces. Despite the current control, Kovalenko warned of a constant threat of Russian maneuvers in the border area.
Military experts expressed skepticism about Kadyrov's claims amid continued speculation about Russia's intentions to launch a new front in Sumy.
The Russian Ministry of Defense remained silent on these developments. Ukraine's military is on high alert, warning of a Russian military build-up around the Sumy region, potentially signaling preparations for a major offensive. Such a move by Russia could strain Ukrainian defenses and open a new front in the ongoing conflict.